pope

Your observation is relevant ONLY if you desire the routes you climb to resemble your office building. We're talking about the mountains, for crying out loud. Maybe we should allow chopper drops into the heart of the N. Cascades, since your average climber can't really handle the approach. Why don't we blast the last 1000 feet of Rainier? I'm a climber of kind of average ability and occasionally I get sick up there. When you pioneer a new route that features a trail of trash, your contribution is dubious, whether you report it on a website or not, whether you think you're making the mountains safe for Joe Average or putting up a modern-day Astroman. The sooner we realize this, the sooner we can all stop getting our feelings hurt.

Fletcher told me the Issue 119 route was fairly sound and nicely exposed, and I imagine the rock on the NE Arete is similar. I've done the N. Ridge which featured solid, easy climbing (move of 5.8?).

We once bivied on that rocky outcrop next to the ice fall. I recall that on a perfectly calm night a freak gust of wind grabbed my sleeping bag and sent it flying. My buddy Rob nearly fell over the cliff trying to save it! Next morning we climbed right through some guys' bivouac half way up the wall; we were scolded for our dress-code violations (lycra and T-shirts--these guys were sporting woolies and gators). We climbed a pitch on the summit block that appeared to be off-route, a steep arete (5.7x) left of a deep, nearly vertical chimney.

No, thank YOU! That was some serious mountain porn....it more than aroused my enormous, wooden alpenhorn. I especially appreciated the soundtrack you elected to accentuate the drama of your manly adventure.

Bravo! Pass the popcorn. I didn't see any rope work in the couloir. Did it feel like class 3?

This is an intriguing thought. Let's consider Bush's track record in life thus far and extrapolate to what kind of a climber he would be: Track record: Until forty years old, spent a lot of time drinking hard and doing cocaine. Now wants to enforce draconian drug laws. Type of climber: Wouldn’t show up on time due to hangover. Then bitch about others drinking or doing drugs. Track record: Got into Yale on family pull, not merit. Didn’t do well academically. Type of climber: Would get to go on Himalayan expeditions because of connections. Wouldn’t summit. Track record: Miserable failure in Texas oil business. Bailed out by his daddy’s friends. Type of climber: Would get stuck a lot on 5.8s. Would call on his cellphone for rescue. Track record: Appointed President by Supreme Court following manipulation of voting count. Type of climber: Would chip holds. Track record: Started war claiming that Iraq had WMD and supported Al Qaeda’s 9/11 attacks. Type of climber: Would chip AND glue holds. Track record: Iraq a mess, civil war ready to break out; the U.S. more feared and disliked than ever, Americans less safe than ever. Type of climber: After failing to climb a route, would dynamite the crag and build a landfill. Maybe next year he'll take up climbing? Let's hope he sticks with golf. Even he can't fuck that up any worse than it already is.

Bush is suckin' up to Lance and riding a mountain bike? I don't think it will work. His people and his votes are more likely to be found down at the track.

Forget the clipless pedals. Forget about queer little shoes that go "clack clack clack" when you walk. Wanna be a cool guy? Want the gals to hear your coming? Just get some old playing cards and a clothes pin.

God damn.

Yeah, diversity rocks!

No kidding. Football teaches kids how to do things they are somehow not learning at home: how to be responsible, keep track of their own equipment, how to respect other players and, most importantly, how to respect adult authority figures. The sport gets plenty of negative press, mostly by pencil-necked media types who couldn't handle running sprints in high school. For most kids, however, football is a positive influence, teaching fitness, teamwork, commitment and courage. I can't say that about sport climbing. Pope- don't be a dick. i resent the implication of your statement. a) you have no idea what values (if any ) i'm instilling in my child. b) who said i wanted him to sport climb-- he's a boulderer! Easy there....no implication was intended. I'm simply agreeing with the statement that football won't be the worst thing that happens to your son. I don't know you and I don't know your son, but I have coached 13-year old boys (and one girl) for ten seasons, and I'm just amazed at the amount of things we find necessary to teach, things that I would assume have nothing to do with football.

Since it's going so well currently? Bravo! The "capabilities" that supposedly mislead us into attacking Iraq? The jobs that are still here, or the American jobs that are now in India? There is only room for improvement here. With what, another unprovoked 90*10^9 dollar war?

No vegetation impact going on here. Right..... Blight?

I used to teach in a middle school where once a semester, we had kind of a carnival/fun day and this "sumo suit" wrestling was one of the activities (I didn't get a chance to try but it looked kind of fun). The company we contracted with also brought an enormous, inflatable vinyl mountain with top-ropes set up. The staff monitoring this equipment were using Gri-Gri belay devices, but when an ascent was complete, they would pull the lever open and lower the climber by letting the rope slip through their gloved hands. I became aware of this when one faculty member (having been instructed by one of the crew) dropped another teacher 20 feet to the mountain's inflated apron. I corrected their technique (even though I'd never used one of those damn things) and retied their overhand knots with figure 8 knots.

Many have speculated that if football were played without helmets, it would virtually eliminate neck and spinal injuries. That logic suggests that these guys are tough as nails:

There exists a disturbing degree of butt grabbing in that pile. Mentioning rugby, my team got a little cultural training this year. A kid on my team, kind of a low-impact player, informed me that he'd spent time in England and that he had a rugby ball autographed by some rugy pro. He volunteered to bring his ball and give a lesson, and so one Friday, that's just what we did. I couldn't believe that he'd take this autographed ball (in superb condition) and allow it to roll in the mud.! The kids were impressed by his knowledge and got a kick out of trying something new. I'm pretty sure they enjoyed the change of pace from conditioning, playbook and tackling drills. The kid who shared rugby with his team became instantly popular and you could just see his confidence growing. By the end of the season, he could even tackle some of our backs.

No kidding. Football teaches kids how to do things they are somehow not learning at home: how to be responsible, keep track of their own equipment, how to respect other players and, most importantly, how to respect adult authority figures. The sport gets plenty of negative press, mostly by pencil-necked media types who couldn't handle running sprints in high school. For most kids, however, football is a positive influence, teaching fitness, teamwork, commitment and courage. I can't say that about sport climbing.

As far as I know, not on that trip. But I wouldn't be shocked to hear that they eventually got it. These kids (probably now getting near 30 yrs old) are aces.

We did the S. Face via Snow Lake in roughly the same time. Which approach is faster? Anybody know for sure?

Actually, we were already on top. There was a gentleman patiently leading his two children up the ridge, and I think Tim asked him whether he could use the "Joe Brown hold".

This girls' club has been around for more than two decades. Might be worth checking out.

I did the W. Ridge for the first time on Thursday. Pretty nice climbing, and a helluva camp Wednesday night at Aasgard pass (my tent fly began to rip in the subfreezing winds). A pair simul-climbing behind us on the ridge included my partner's inspiration and alpine school instructor, Tim Wilson, and his equally entertaining partner, Armand. Following a reunion/summit celebration, I had to hike back to the pass, break camp, and hump the biggest pack I've carried in ten years down past Cochuck Lake and out (4 hours, finishing in failing light). I'm still hurting from that adventure.

Some former students of mine once drove to Yosemite for the weekend to attempt Midnight Lightning. Ain't no highway long enough, ain't no boulder small enough....

Get yourself a Magic Bus